1 of 2 captive Sisserou. This one at the Botanical gardens in Roseau September 2017 and the media is packed back to back with hurricane news. Harvey, Irma and Maria have devastated the Caribbean region. Puerto Rico and Dominica seems to be exceptionally hard hit as we await the reestablishment of contact with these regions that lost most ways of communicating with the outside world.

What is the sex ratio of the amazon parrot you breed? Image by Frank WoutersIn many bird species, the proportion of sons and daughters (offspring sex ratio) can strongly deviate from the expected 50:50. This phenomenon has been observed in domestic species, e.g. chicken, quail, and pigeons, but also in wild species, such as gulls or parrots. Evolutionary theory predicts, that under certain circumstances mothers will gain an advantage by producing a biased offspring sex ratio, for example, when the chances to reproduce differs between the sexes. Still, the underlying mechanisms leading to a biased offspring sex ratio are largely unknown. Research suggests, that the body condition and the hormonal status of the breeding female is of high relevance.

Sirocco the kakapo was the guest of honour at a party on Tuesday night to thank the NZ Aluminium Smelter for its support of the birds' recovery programme. The partnership is set to end in December, with future funding uncertain. Image by CAMERON BURNELLThe future of the Department of Conservation's kakapo recovery programme appears uncertain, with the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter looking at pulling out of its commercial funding after 25 years.